Apparatus for distilling wood



(No Model.)

T. H. BERRY.

APPARATUS POR DISTILLING WOOD. No. 332.320. Patented Dec. 15, 1885.

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UNITED STATES PATENT Oraret THOMAS HUN BERRY, OF PHILADELPPIIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

APPARATUS FOR DISTILLING WOOD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 332320. dated December 15, 1885.

Application filed May 1, 1885. Serial No. 164.126. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS H. BERRY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania,' have invented certain new and usefulinprovements in apparatus for treating eocoanut-shells, fruit-stones, and refuse Vegetable substances for extracting oil, pyroligneous aeid, and other products; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the aecompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this speeifieation.

My invention relates to an apparatus for extracting oils, aeids, and other products from Vegetable shells, seeds, stones, and nuts by destructive distillation, and it consists in the combination of a furnace, a rotary retort, a condenser, and receiving-tanks with suitable connections, and also in certain details of construetion, as hereinafter more fully set forth.

In the annexed drawings, illustrating theinvention, Figure lis a sectional elevation of my machine or apparatus for treating vegetable shells, seeds, Stones, and nuts to obtain oil, tar, acids, and other products. Fig. 2 is a View of one end of the furnace with pulley for rotating the retort. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of the rotary retort and a transverse section of a portion of the furnace-walls. Fig. 4 is a plan view of a spider-frane at one end of the rotary retort. Fig. is aplanview of a stationary cover with ports for closing one end of the rotary retort.

Like letters refer to like parts throughout the several views.

A designates a furnace having a grate, fireboX, and ash-pit of ordinary construction. In the upper part of this furnaee is journaled a rotary retort, B, preferably cylindrical in form, and arrauged horizontally, as shown. One end of the retort B is permanently closed and fixed to a shaft or journal, O, that carries at the outer side of the furnaee a pulley, D, for belting by which the retort is rotated. The opposite open end of the retort is supor desirable.

ported upon a tubular shaft or journal, E, by means of a spider-frame, F, as shown in Fig. 3. A stationary head or cover, Gr, is secured to the furnace at the open end of` the retort, which is thereby inclosed. This stationary head or cover is fornied of metal, preferably concavo-conveX in form, though it may be made fiat, if desired, and is provided with an upper port, a, and a lower port, b, as shown in Fig. 5. Through the center of the stationary head G, and also through the tubularshaft E, is passed a stationary inj eetor-pipe, H, that extends the entire length of the retort, andis provided with perforations c c, through which water or stean is adnitted to spray the contents ot' the retort when required. The upper port, a., of the stationary head G is closed by a removable hood, K, that couniunieates by means of a pipe-coupling, d, Fig. l, with a pipe or eonductor, L, for conveying away the products of distillation. The lower port, b, is closed by a removable cover, e, havinga suitable fastening. The pipe L empties into a main conduit, M, that communicates at one end, near the furnace, with an oil or tar receiver, N, having a discharge-cock, f, while at its opposite end the eonduit M eonniunieates With the worn P of a condenser, Q. Thelowe'r end of the condensing-worn P, after passing through the condensing-tank Q enters an acidreceiving tank, R, and terminates in a siphonbend, g, that forms a trap to prevent the passage of incondensable gases. These incondensable gases are permitted to escape from the worn P through a gas-pipe, S, that may be arranged to Convey the gas into the furnace A or to any other desired point for waste or for utilization, as may be found convenient The tank B has a disehargefaueet, h, for withdrawing the eolleeted aeid. The condenser Q is provided with a watersupply pipe, T, and an overflowpipe, U, as shown in Fig. 1, which also shows the conduit M, provided with a fan, V, for facilitating the passage to the condenser of thelighter products of distillation, as hereinafter explained. This fan may be driven by the same power that actuates the rotary retort.

In employing this apparatus for obtaining tar, oils, acids, gases, and chareoal from the IOO shells of nuts, fruit-stones, and similar vegetable substances the material to be subjected to destructive distillation is placed in the retort B in a comminuted condition and exposed to the heat of the furnace, the retort being meanwhile rotated by means of its pulley and power connections, so as to distrbute the heat uniformly throughout the mass. The broken nut-shel1s, fruit-stones, andlike substances are fed into the retort while stationary through the upper port, a, of the head G, the hood K having been previously detached by discounecting the coupling d, while the lower port, b, remains closed. After the retort has been charged the hood K is replaced in position, as shown in Fig` 1. Under the rotary action of the retort B and the exhaust induced by the fan V the oils, tar, and Vapors disengaged by the furnace-heat are drawn through the u pper port, a, hood K, and pipe L into the conduit M, whence the heavier matters-such as tar and oil-descend by gravity into the receiver N, while the vapors and lighter matters ascend, assisted by the fan, and pass through the conduit to the condenser. In passing through the worm P the Vapors are condensed, and the 'resulting acids collected in the tank or receiver R. The incondensable gases may be conducted through the pipe S into the furnace to assist in combustion; or they may be allowed to escape as waste or be collected at any suitable point for use, as required.

This apparatus is especially adapted for utilizing the large quantities of cocoanut-shells and fruit-stones that accumulate at fruit canning and packing establishments, and which have heretofore been a source of considerable trouble and expense, on account of the difficulty of disposing of them in a satisfactory manner without violating sanitary requirements. It is well known that the fermentation and gradual decomposition of refuse Vegetable substances-such as cocoanut-shells and fruitstorieswhen exposed to decay in large masses under the action of sunlight, air,and moisture, is offensive and inj urious to health. It is therefore objectionable, and in many places prohibited, to cast away or dump such material in vacant places near cities or towns, and itis expensive to dispose of it otherwise, either by carting to greater distances or by burning in refuse-furnaces, the latter being, besides, ineXpedient on account of the offensive odors generated by combustion where no provision is made for consuming the resulting gas. These difficulties are obviated by utilizing the refuse cocoanut-shells, fruit-stones, and the husks and seeds of' Vegetable substances from canning and packing establishments in such a way as to obtain the' tar, oil, acids, and carbon or charcoal resulting from the destructive distillation of such material,while, by conveying the incondensable gases into the furnace of an apparatus arranged as above described,- whereby said gases are consumed, all unpleasant odors are prevented or greatly diminished.

The products resulting from the destructive distillation of cocoanut -shells, fruit Stones, nuts, and various Vegetable husks and seeds are pyroligneous acid, charcoal, tar, and incondensable gases in different proportions, the products and quantities of each Varying somewhat with the condition of the various materials enployed and the extent to which combustion is carried. The tar, pyroligneous acid, and charcoal are useful for all the purposes to which such materials are ordinarily adapted, andtheir value considerably exceeds the eX- pense of destroying the refuse material from which they are produced. The incondensable gases are preferably consumed in the furnace that forms a part of the apparatus', thereby economizing fuel and avoiding offensive od ors.

The charcoal or unconsumed' residue of the' retort contents is discharged or withdrawn through the lower port, b, after the operation of distillation has been completed. By spraying the contents of the retort with steam or water introduced through the injector H after distillation or d'estruction of the material has partly proceeded the further combustion of the charcoal can be arrested at any desired point, according to the qualities or grades required for various uses in the arts.

The apparatus is simple and effective in operation, and possesses the advantage of providing an economical means for disposing of an obnoxious refuse material, while obtaining therefrom several valuable products.

It may be remarked that the process of treating cocoanut-shells, fruit-stones, and

other refuse Vegetable substances for obtaining pyroligneous acid, charcoal, and other products by means of destructive distillationis the subject of a separate application for patent filed herewth.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is'- 1. The combination of the furnace A, the rotary retort B, journaled in said I"rame,-a` stationary head, G, having ports communi cating with said retort, a detachable hood, K, for one of said ports, the hood being removably connected to a stationary 'pip'e, L, the' Conduit M, communicating with the pipe L, the receivers N R, condenser Q, and a fan, V located in the conduit, substantially as described.

2. The rotary cylindrical retort B, open atwith spider-frane F and tubular shaft E, the

stationary head G, having ports a b, the per forated injector-pipe H, and the ho'od K, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with a furnace, a ro IOO IIO

tary cylndrcal retort, B, open at one end In testimony whereof I affix my sgnaturein and provided with a spider-frame, F, the con presence of two witnesses. denser Q, recevng-tanks N and R, Conduit d M, and pipe L, of the stationary head or cover 5 G, having ports a I), and the detachable hood WVitnesses:

K, for connectng the pipe L and port a, sub GEORGE HALL, stantally as described. D. B. TAYLOR.

THOS. HUN BERRY. 

